Chalice of Summer
by TeeDee
Summary: Hermione and Ginny have a quiet talk after all is said and done on that fateful day. Spoilers for HBP GWxHP


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

A/n: I have -no- clue where this came from. I'm a slash girl. I'm for any pairing -but- the one I just wrote… Ah, the things that force their way from your fingers once a brilliant book has been read… I'm not going to be going over this too much before posting, sorry. I don't know if I'd post it, were I to do that. I will be checking my spelling and such, though.

Summary: Hermione and Ginny have a quiet talk after all is said and done on that fateful day. (Spoilers for HBP) GWxHP

Chalice of Summer

The sun remained bright as the visitors to their castle wandered from the grounds where a great wizard had been laid to rest. So very few hours stretched between children and adults. Tonight thee would be more.

Hermione found her in the Quidditch field, lilac ribbons twisted into the red of her hair and a soft smile on lips parted enough to allow breath to pass. No one else had seemed to notice the youngest Weasley's disappearance following the burial ceremony, Ron sticking to Harry as a second shadow lest the quiet brunette turn to mist without his mate's gaze tying him down to physical form, and each student tormented by their own demons which turned the mind inward. It was easy for one so small to slip free from the clusters, almost without notice. For, as obvious, one had noticed and tracked her, with some difficulty, to the pitch.

Nestled in the close-cropped grass, Ginny looked the child that had skipped at her mother's heels when Hermione caught her first glimpse of the flock of redheads come to Kings Cross almost 6 years ago, before she knew how much the ragged family would come to mean to her. They were a second mother and father, older brothers, a sister - and Ron. She and Harry belonged to them now, for better or worse.

"Ginny?"

The small form started, but it was a smile that was cast Hermione's way, and the marshy green eyes were clear as they met her own reddened ones. The slightly younger girl didn't speak, just watched as Hermione took a seat next to her on the grass, mindful that there would probably be stains to be worked out later from the damp grass.

"Your hair looks nice," Hermione hazarded, fingering the soft waves of hair captured by one of the ribbons. Ginny gave sound reminiscent of a hum in the back of her throat, but gave no words, but still she smiled. Hermione envied that smile, her own lips stiff and the skin of her face cool despite the brightness of the sun bearing down on them. "You didn't have them during the burial."

"No," Ginny murmured at last, in answer. She threaded her fingers in some blades of grass and pushed against them, gently, without uprooting any. Hermione watched, bewildered over the other's undisturbed play. So much had happened in so short a time, and so few smiles had been exchanged since Harry had rushed in on her and Ron, prepared to risk his neck and leave his best chance of protection to _them_.

"Why are you out here?" Another hum was gifted to Hermione for her trouble, and the brunette felt an inkling of fear for her idle friend. There had been so much stress, and in so short a time. It wasn't like this was the Weasleyette's first introduction to danger, but so much could weigh down on a gentle soul, and snap even the strongest of spirits.

"Ginny…"

A small, warm hand folded itself over Hermione's and threaded its fingers with the slightly larger one, removing Hermione's hand from Ginny's hair and resting them both on the smaller one's lap. "It's for my engagement," was the quiet explanation granted.

Engagement? Shock and confusion bubbling from Hermione's chest and to her tongue, she struggled over her sputtered attempts to question the girl, eventually managing to ask what she meant. Ginny laughed anew, and the green eyes that had drifted from Hermione's returned the other girl's gaze.

"I'm going to save so I can buy a dress the same colour of these ribbons," Ginny went on. "Then I can wear them with it when the time comes. Until then, I don't think I'll wear them again."

"When what time comes, Ginny?"

The girl shrugged and tossed back her head, the strands of red dancing in the shine the sun cast upon them. "Our wedding or our funeral," she declared, for the first time a spite entering her voice since their world had splintered around them. Still the smile was unfeigned. "It's our engagement today."

Hermione took in those words with silence, worried at the implications of such a statement. Had Harry truly been so reckless as to push on, even with what was happening around them, and done - had Ginny actually accepted - _what? "Ginny-"_ her exclamation was silenced when the younger girl's other hand covered Hermione's mouth none too gently.

"It's what today is. Not by Harry's choice, by mine. He cut off out relationship today, as Headmaster Dumbledore was given his last farewell by the centaurs." Here Hermione felt another wave of hysteria, for she could barely handle all the statements the other girl poured at her that made little to no sense to her mind. What centaurs? Mermaids, they'd been there, and Firenze, but - "He said that it was beautiful, even though it wasn't to last."

Hermione forced herself to centre her thoughts on what her companion was telling her. "The Dark Lord has to die before Harry can live, it seems, but that's okay." All the while, Ginny's smile never faded. "I've thought about it. I'm okay with it. He has to die, so we'll let him die. Or we will."

She could see where this was going now, and it was with both relief and misgivings that Hermione squeezed her tiny friend's hand. Again, the sight of the younger girl seated in the grass, gazing at the sky, filtered through Hermione's mind, a disquieting image when mingled with the words of death and the still present smile. She was Hermione's little sister, as she was Ron's, and she was important to Harry in another way.

'He cut off out relationship today, as Headmaster Dumbledore was given his last farewell by the centaurs…' The words echoed ominously in Hermione's mind. Harry gave of himself so freely, and took so little for himself some times. Oh, he could be a prat, as could Ron, both undeniable boys… But, here, he'd made the mistake. Had he honestly felt Ginny would accept his decision for them both?

"Ginny, you… We can't take you with us, even as Harry probably can't even take Ron and I the whole way." Still, Hermione would try. This one was more important to them than their own safely, this fiery spirit of tempered strength and sharp wit.

"No, but I can follow." Hermione's hand was given another squeeze, then the slight body left her side, and Ginny, shooting her one last, bight smile, once more tossed back her hair and strode away towards the castle, leaving Hermione behind, two sentences playing through her mind forebodingly,

'Our wedding or our funeral. It's our engagement today.'

End

Blinks And it's done. Somewhat messy, I suppose, but for a quick write I'm hoping it's fine. Now, hopefully, my muse will let me be for a bit! Eh, and the Continued Survival fans? I really am working on the next chapter, honest, I just can't seem to find the missing chunk. Anywhere. If it hasn't turned up in a month's time, I'm dropping it and rewriting the hunk of story so that I can finally post the next chapter….


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